Saying what we please is one of our most fundamental rights, and people do use and, some would argue, abuse, the right.
Under the guise of “political satire” some guy “recently posted pictures of candidates’ underage daughters and granddaughters along with a “cuteness” rating as a method to handicap the Presidential race.” (to quote the Collective)
Thing is this guy is a self professed pedophile.
Now, as I said in the comments to The Needs of the Few, I’m all for freedom of speech. But I’m really uncomfortable with this. From anyone else it would have just seemed stupid, but from a pedophile? Beyond serious discomfort. I know someone who was abused by a pedophile at a young age. I won’t go into what I think should be done to these people, 'cause it ain’t pretty.
So, where do we draw the line? I know the cliché that your freedom stops where the next guy’s freedom starts. And I know that some things should not be allowed.
Who decides what can be said on a public forum? Who decides what is too much? Should some things be censored? What, by whom, and again, who decides?My knee jerk reaction would be that people like the guy above should not have the right to say a damn thing, ever, anywhere. But then what? Doesn’t that open the way to censorship?
If some things should be censored, doesn’t that imply that the public is too stupid to put things in perspective, to realize how ridiculous and sometimes downright insane some of what is said truly is? And think hard before saying “of course they’re stupid” because you are, after all, part of that public.
If we start censoring on a more or less large scale, where does it stop?
I have no answers. But then I rarely do.
*picture from stockphoto.com
8 comments:
Never underestimate the intelligence of the public. Look at the mags at the grocery store check-out and realize that they actually sell that crud and that the loyal readers believe it all.
Oh, and you have been tagged, by the way. Check my blog.
Well lil' sister quite the post. It is problem that we'll have more and more with the proliferation of blogs and the web.
But to quote Voltaire; "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." to do otherwise leads down a very slippery slope . There is always something or somebody that we disapprove of, and it is way too easy to silence them, but where does it stop because once it starts there is no end to it.
On the other hand what the self professed pedophile was doing is illegal in many ways. Since pedophilia is illegal anywhere in the world, putting up children's pictures in a site devoted to something illegal, is inciting pedophiles to an illegal activity. Kind of like inciting someone to riot. The children's right to privacy is also infringed on since it is illegal to use a person's picture without their permission if they are not in the public domain. Although the candidate is, his or her children are not.
Good post for a Mondfay morning.
Addendum to my last comment.
I went to see the famous site "puellula.com". This guy is one sick puppy . Do I think that what he's saying is right...NOOOO!!! An apologist for pedophilia gives me goose bumps and a nauseous feeling. But as long as what he is saying is legal then he has a right to say it. If we were to shut him down then who would be next, the gays, the lesbians, the trans-genders, the left, those against the war in Irak or Afghanistan?
Deep post. Stop making my brain think on the last few hours before returning to class, damn you.
(That pedophiliac guy is very weird and deserves a swift-kick in the nads).
This is one of those conundrums in life that make the critical thinking parts of our brain start to feel like a silly puppy chasing its tail.
Ian - Underestimate or overestimate? And I will do the tag.
BB - Thank god for Voltaire. I think he pretty much sums it up. Just had a look at that site. Um, not the same as child molestation? Maybe he should ask my friend about that... Asshole.
Snay - I tend to think so too. Sorry about the thinking. I'll try to coordinate my posts with you in the future.
Geewits - Indeed my friend.
Geewits
Just to clarify, I'm not the pedophile.
Oh, and the post was written by my good friend The Collective.
Evil Spock - no one would ever think you are! You are the future President of the United Statees after all. But, yeah, you're right, maybe I should edit that.... And I stand corrected as to the author. It's hard to keep you all straight, especially on a Monday morning.
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